Dez Stewart

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/17

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

  • Released from IR: WR Dez Stewart

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Redskins

Lions Release RB Matt Asiata

The Lions have released veteran running back Matt Asiata, the club announced today.

Detroit signed Asiata away from the division rival Vikings in May, inking the 30-year-old to a minimum benefit contract. Always something of a plodder (3.5 yards per carry average for his career), Asiata had a chance to serve as the Lions’ power back if he performed well during the summer. However, Detroit will instead roll with Theo Riddick, Zach Zenner, and Dwayne Washington behind starter Ameer Abdullah.

The Lions also announced the following transactions:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/17

Tuesday’s minor NFL moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: RB Kelvin Taylor

Carolina Panthers

  • Claimed: DE Arthur Miley (from Dolphins)
  • Waived/Injured: S Dean Marlowe

Detroit Lions

  • Signed: WR Dez Stewart, CB Tramain Young
  • Waived: WR Ryan Spadola, CB Des Lawrence

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: K Sam Ficken (Twitter link via Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star)

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: C Lucas Crowley
  • Waived/Injured: C Mike Matthews

Seattle Seahawks

  • Waived: FB Kyle Coleman (Twitter link via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
  • Waived/Injured: OL Robert Myers

Steelers Make Three Moves

The Steelers made a trio of minor transactions yesterday. According to Mark Kaboly of DKPittsburghSports.com (via Twitter), the team has released long-snapper Kameron Canaday and waived/injured wideout Dez Stewart. Meanwhile, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers have signed offensive lineman Jake Rodgers.

NFL: Preseason-Arizona Cardinals at Houston TexansStewart was signed to a reserve/futures contract back in February. The wideout was a standout at Ohio Dominican University (Division II), hauling in 196 receptions for 3,197 yards and 25 touchdowns over 43 collegiate games. The receiver was especially expendable after the Steelers selected JuJu Smith-Schuster during last week’s draft.

Canaday went from a 2016 undrafted free agent to the Cardinals starting long snapper last season, but he was waived after only three weeks. The Steelers snatched him in February, but similar to Stewart, Canaday was recently squeezed out by a rookie. Pittsburgh selected Colin Holba in the sixth-round of last week’s draft, and the rookie will compete with incumbent Greg Warren for the starting gig.

Rodgers has yet to appear in an NFL game after being selected in the seventh round of the 2015 draft. The Eastern Washington product has spent time with the Falcons, Giants, and Panthers. Assuming Rodgers continues to play offensive tackle, he’ll be competing with Jerald Hawkins and Brian Mihalik for snaps.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/25/17

Here are the latest reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective club’s offseason 90-man rosters:

Denver Broncos

New Orleans Saints

  • LS Jesse Schmitt (two-year deal)

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

NFL Workout Updates: 12/20/16

Tuesday is typically a busy workout day for NFL teams, and the level of activity only increases near the end of the season, when clubs are looking at players who might be candidates for reserve/futures contracts. Here are today’s tryout notes:

  • The Buccaneers worked out quarterback Sean Renfree, defensive end Alex Bazzie, linebacker Deon Lacey, and Spanish rugby star Inaki Villanueva (as a tight end), reports Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Renfree, 26, spent last season as Matt Ryan‘s backup in Atlanta, and has auditioned for a number of clubs this year without being offered a deal.
  • The Lions worked out a pair of free agent tight ends — David Ausberry and Gabe Hughes — at the end of last week, tweets Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. PFR reported earlier this year that Ausberry tore his Achilles during a November 2015 tryout with New York, and has presumably been rehabbing ever since.
  • Former Chicago linebacker Khaseem Greene tried out for the Chiefs, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter link). Greene started six games for the Bears from 2012-14, and has spent time on a few other NFL rosters, but hasn’t appeared in the NFL in two years.
  • The Jets met with quarterback Mike Bercovici; tight ends M.J. McFarland, Gannon Sinclair, and Jason Vander Laan; and wide receiver Dez Stewart, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bercovici, a 2016 favorite of some NFL draftniks, went to camp with San Diego but didn’t make the final cut.
  • The Titans worked out former Oakland/New York defensive end Shelby Harris today, tweets Caplan. Harris, 25, played in eight games over the past two seasons with the Raiders.
  • The Texans met with cornerback Mitchell White, who has spent the past three years in the Canadian Football League, according to Caplan (Twitter link).
  • The Patriots auditioned defensive tackle Jeoffrey Pagan, reports Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link).

NFL Workout Updates: 12/6/2016

The Broncos worked out a dozen players today, including quarterbacks Sean Renfree and T.J. Yates, running backs Bernard Pierce and Zac Brooks, and wide receivers Keshawn Martin and Corey Washington, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Yates, 29, has only started seven games during his regular season career, but has somewhat miraculously managed two playoff starts, both for Houston. Each of the tryouts conducted by Denver today were for futures contract consideration, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

Here’s more from the workout front:

  • Searching for emergency interior line options, the Patriots tried out OL James Stone and Chris Watt today, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who adds that New England also took a look at wide receiver Dez Stewart. As Reiss wrote earlier today, the Pats could be forced to make a move at WR following an injury to Danny Amendola, and Stewart could potentially fill that void.
  • The Chiefs, dealing with injuries to Dontari Poe and Jaye Howard (placed on IR), auditioned veteran defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis and Montori Hughes, per Caplan (Twitter link). Kansas City also worked out inside linebackers James Burgess and Darnell Sankey on Saturday, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
  • The Packers tried out tight end Kennard Backman, quarterback Mike Bercovici, wide receiver Mitch Mathews, and running back Daryl Virgies, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Backman is familiar with Green Bay, as the Packers chose him in the sixth round of the 2015 draft.
  • Defensive back Dezmen Southward, defensive end Josh Boyd, and linebacker Ron Thompson all worked out for the Raiders today, per Caplan (Twitter link). Southward was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 2014.
  • The Buccaneers are working out 6’4″, 220-pound wide receiver Joe Hills, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He was the 2016 Arena League offensive Player of the Year for the Jacksonville Sharks.
  • Defensive lineman Frank Beltre and defensive back Tony Burnett were among the players that tried out for the Vikings today, according to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Jets worked out long snappers Zac Triner, Rick Lovato, Daniel Dillon, and Kameron Canaday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York’s current long snapper is veteran Tanner Purdum.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/2/16

Friday’s practice squad changes:

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: QB Joe Callahan
  • Cut: WR Dez Stewart

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/1/16

Thursday’s practice squad changes:

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: S Shamiel Gary
  • Placed on practice squad/injured list: S Joe Powell

Green Bay Packers

  • Cut: WR Dez Stewart (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)

Oakland Raiders

Workout Notes: Bears, Pack, Chiefs, Pats

The Redskins worked out six free agents – including defensive tackle Jordan Hill – on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Also among their tryouts: Running back Isaiah Pead; quarterback Josh Woodrum; receivers Matt Hazel and Mekale McKay; and defensive end Sterling Bailey. and Hill was a backup from 2013-15 in Seattle, where he appeared in 27 regular-season games and recorded seven sacks (5.5 in 2014).

More workouts from Monday:

  • Cornerbacks Darryl Morris, Shaun Prater, Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Melvin White auditioned for the Bears, tweets Caplan. Chicago is on the hunt for defensive back help after getting torched by the Packers on Thursday Night Football.
  • The Packers worked out six receivers – Mario Alford, Dez Stewart, Harvey Binford, Da’Ron Brown, Marcus Johnson and Wendall Williamsaccording to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Stewart ended up signing with their practice squad. Guard Josh Walker and quarterback Keith Wenning were also among Green Bay’s tryouts Monday. Walker was previously with the Packers, who waived/injured him in training camp.
  • Receiver Cayleb Jones tried out for the Chiefs, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 6’3″, 205-pound receiver spent training camp with Philadelphia.
  • The Patriots auditioned safety Shamiel Gary, per Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). The ex-Dolphin was with the Patriots for a brief period in 2014.
  • The Cowboys took a look at defensive tackles Montori Hughes and Casey Walker, reports Caplan (Twitter link). The team doesn’t plan to sign either of them, however, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.